


The Arc of Conflict, Fragment s20,1: How can you be with her, now?

by bzarcher, solarbird



Series: Of Gods and Monsters [124]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Accidents, Airplane Crashes, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Artificial Intelligence, Background Relationships, Brothers, Divided Loyalties, F/M, Fear, M/M, Multi, Nepal (Overwatch), Relationship(s), War, Watchpoint Nepal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27927022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bzarcher/pseuds/bzarcher, https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. But with Jesse McCree having upset a precarious balance, Lena, Hana, and Sombra have intervened in Russia's rising civil war, and the fragile peace between Overwatch and Oasis has been shattered.Brigitte and Lúcio, having learned Jack Morrison's secret, have departed Watchpoint Nepal for Germany. Hanzo, however, has been asked to stay and speak to his brother Genji - but does not know what Genji wishes to discuss.Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflictis a continuance ofThe Arc of Ascension,The Arc of Creation, andThe Armourer and the Living Weapon. To follow the story as it appears,please subscribe to the series.
Relationships: Genji Shimada & Hanzo Shimada, Hanzo Shimada/Mei-Ling Zhou, Jesse McCree/Genji Shimada
Series: Of Gods and Monsters [124]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024
Comments: 24
Kudos: 25





	The Arc of Conflict, Fragment s20,1: How can you be with her, now?

**Author's Note:**

> [The formerly invitation-only widowtracer discord server](https://discord.gg/NKnPpx43mK) has decided to open up to widowtracerly fans in general - yes, gingerspider shippers are welcome - so come join that if you like!
> 
> BUFFER WATCH: JANUARY 10+, 2021.
> 
> (We've got some work done on a new Edda that would appear January 17th, but it isn't a complete draft.)
> 
> dirtyclaws has launched [a public fan-run _Of Gods and Monsters_ discord server](https://discord.gg/pDZMpVT) and invites everyone to come join it!

Hanzo and Jack walked together down the corridor towards Morrison's office, Jack giving a brief nod to dismiss the last of the security detail when he reached his office.

"The transport to Taipei won't depart for another few hours," Jack said, as the door opened in front of him. "That'll give you plenty of time to talk to Genji, once he calls."

"He is not already here?" Hanzo asked. "I thought..."

"No, he's in Italy - but he very much needs to talk to you while you're on base, where we have the best operational encryption and Athena running interference for us. He just wants to get to a more secure location on his end, first."

"A more secure location," Hanzo said, frowning, following him inside. "What does he mean by that, Jack?"

"You'll have to ask him. About all I know is that right now, he's only willing to move around at night. Have a seat here, or in the ready room, whichever you like." He walked around behind his desk. "You want some coffee? Maybe tea? I don't keep anything stronger here."

"Thank you, but no," Hanzo said as he took his previous seat in one of the guest chairs opposite Morrison's desk. "Does this concern about his security have anything to do with Jesse McCree?"

"I'd bet good money on it."

\-----

Hanzo sat in the Commander's ready room, next to his office, the door closed for privacy.

"I don't understand," he said to the tabletop padd, the built-in one normally used for conference calls. "I have met Lena, since the changes. I have dealt with her many times, at the Ecopoint, with Mei. Once I got used to her movements, she did not seem so very different to me."

"Do you think I am lying, brother?" Genji's voice projected clear, his tone firm, though the conference speaker. "I assure you, I am not."

"No, of course I don't. I... I just do not understand," Hanzo replied. "What you describe..."

"What I describe is what she does now, or is capable of doing, without hesitation. And from what little Jesse is able to say, she is not alone in that capability."

"Not alone?"

"It is all of them. Without exception."

Hanzo shook his head, no, refusing to believe it. "That is impossible. Perhaps Lena, I will grant. She is a Weapon. Mei has spoken with me about what that means. Her wives, too, are also Weapons. But Mei is _not_ a Weapon, and neither is Hana, or Angela, or..."

"It does not matter, brother," Genji insisted.

He'd taken off his facial shield, to look at his brother with if not his old eyes, the eyes he now had. He suspected they didn't communicate emotion as well as the ones he'd lost all those years ago, but they said far more than any protective mask ever could.

"He saw horrible things, in the slipstream," Genji continued. "Horrible things done by all of them - every one, including your girlfriend. They are _all_ mad, in one way or another."

"Mei-Ling Zhou is the most sane, most... humane person I have ever met!" Hanzo retorted. "She is kind, and loving, and soft, while still strong. She went through the upgrades she did to save lives, because she could not save enough lives before. She would _never..._ "

"Whether she knows it or not, she would," Genji insisted. "If she needs to, she _will_."

“She is not the same as them! I know this!”

Genii scoffed. “Because you love her?”

“No!” Hanzo’s voice rose. “Because she loves ME!”

That statement echoed for a moment in both their ears as Hanzo bowed his head, trying to regain his composure.

“She loves you,” Genji murmured thoughtfully. 

“And I am _not_ one of them, and do not intend to be. She has always accepted that.”

Genji humphed and looked thoughtful, clearly thinking about how to reply. Behind him, slightly out of focus - or was it blurred? - Hanzo watched the morning sun illuminate a drawn window shade from behind, the light growing brighter as his brother considered his words.

“Hana acted the same way towards her lovers, at first, too," Genji eventually said. "We both know that changed.”

“Mei has never touched upon the idea,” Hanzo replied softly, “much less asked such a thing of me outright. Not once. She loves me for who I am - and I am a man. Do you truly expect me to fight her now?"

Genji paused, his gaze flicking down towards the floor. "No. I believe Jesse when he says we cannot fight them. I am ashamed, but..."

"Nonsense," Hanzo snorted. "They are still people. You have fallen into Morrison's paranoia."

"Paranoia did not do this to my boyfriend!"

"Are you so certain? He went off to assassinate Lena's mother, on the basis of his own fears, and it ended badly for him. And even if everything he said is true, Lena left him alive. Had he attempted to kill _our_ mother, I would have killed him outright, without hesitation."

"Yes," Genji growled. "You have a history of that."

Hanzo's face shifted to stone, and his eyes closed.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I do. I know."

"Good," Genji said. "I have forgiven you, but I have not forgotten all that you are, even as I accept it. I was as you are, after all. What I am telling you is - if Overwatch will not leave this war, you need to leave Overwatch. For your own safety, if nothing else."

"Only Overwatch? Not Mei?"

"If you want to keep Mei-Ling, leaving Overwatch may be enough. Otherwise, she will eventually turn on you, and you will lose, and there is no point in throwing your life away."

"I cannot believe you would insult her so!" Hanzo shouted, his anger rising. "How could you say such a..."

Alert klaxons rang, startling them both, interrupting the argument. "Recovery crews to action stations. Recovery crews to action stations. Prepare for emergency departure. This is not a drill."

"Oh no," Genji said, across comms. "No."

Hanzo looked back and forth between the alert screens in the ready room and the screen showing his brother's face. "Athena, what is going on? Is the Watchpoint under attack?"

"The Watchpoint is not under attack. We have lost contact with Dolphin 102," Athena said. "Forward telemetry abruptly ceased. Final rear telemetry update indicated massive structural failure before ceasing as well, some seconds later."

"Oh no," Hanzo said, his face pale. "How long until..."

The klaxons ceased.

"Recovery flights are away," Athena said. "But it will take two hours to reach Dolphin 102's final known location over Russia."

"It's them," Genji said. "It has to be. Get out, now."

“They were over Russian airspace,” Hanzo pointed out. "And well north of combat areas. Nowhere near Oasis."

Genji just shook his head as he reached to end the call. 

"It was them."

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fifty-third instalment of _Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict_. To follow the story, [subscribe to the series via this link](https://archiveofourown.org/series/972024), rather than to the individual works.


End file.
